Companies as well as individuals are usually drawn to agency work because it is so specialized. Agencies are filled with people who have the same passion and the similar projects and problems, so collaboration is easier and you know that nothing will slip through the cracks. However, transitioning from in-house work to agency work can be difficult no matter how exciting.

There are a few dynamics that are different when you’re dealing with an agency:

You have to juggle multiple projects at once.

You have to learn to communicate with different clients.

Those who have assigned you a task will likely not be working in the same office. This makes questions and visions harder to get across.

Agency work is dependent upon the number of clients available. In other words, it can be a bit less stable and less predictable than in-house work.

Making this transition can be tough whether you’re the employee or the employer. If you are a business owner who is used to working with an in-house staff, outsourcing work to an agency will be a big change. Consider some of the ways that you can help make this transition smooth and successful:

Top 3 Ways to Help Smooth Your In-House to Agency Transition

1. Lay Out Your Day on Paper

It might sound elementary, but having a written out plan will help ensure that you’re prepared. It always helps to know what comes next in your day when trying to learn something knew. This often puts people at ease because they know that there will be no surprises and that they will not forgot anything. If you’re an employer, you should write out a plan for your agency so that they know exactly what you expect. An employee of the agency, on the other hand, might want to create a plan for the day for his/her own personal work (clients, projects, meetings, etc.).

2. Connect Via Social Media

One of the biggest changes that will occur is communication. Working in an agency generally means that you will not be steps away from those “in charge” of the project. In other words, you will not be sitting next to your clients or next to those who are working for you. This makes communication extremely important, so it’s best to connect on all levels. If something were to happen through email and you need to come into contact quickly, social media will be critical. It always puts both parties at ease when they know they can get ahold of that person when necessary.

3. Know Who Is In Charge

Working in an agency requires a lot of decision making. Because the client is not there to hold your hand like they would be if you were working in-house, it’s important to be independent and be able to make decisions. It also helps to know who is in charge in your agency should you have a question. From an employer’s perspective, it is important to realize that the agency will have a lot of clients. They will give you their full attention, but the trust needs to be there. It’s a big transition.

Most find that working for or with an agency is very different than in-house and end up switching back to the way they feel comfortable. However, it takes time to get used to this type of change, and going through some of the suggestions discussed above should help make the transition smooth.

Have you ever had to go from in-house to agency work? What helped you make the change quickly and efficiently? Let us know in the comments!

Guest Blogger: Amanda DiSilvestro is a graduate of Illinois State University. Although she graduated with an English Education degree, she found herself working as a full-time blogger at Highervisibility, nationally recognized as one of the top seo firms in the country. Connect with HigherVisibility on Twitter to learn more!

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 16th, 2012 at 8:21 am and is filed under clients. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

4 Responses to “How to Transition Successfully from In-House to Agency Work”

You are rigth David. I think it’s very important to use online CRM and project management software so all staff members are up to date with current status of client conversations and project milestones.